Flexible metal door-mat.



No. 794,304. PATENTED JULY 11, 1905. J. D. KARNAGHAN & J. H. PRESCOTT.

FLEXIBLE METAL DOOR MAT.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 5. 1901.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

No. 794,304. PATENTED JULY 11, 1905.

J. D. KARNAGHAN & J. H. PRESCOTT.

FLEXIBLE METAL DOOR MAT.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 5. 1901.

2 8HEETS-SHEET 2.

M ne e 1 (W8 I NITED STATES Patented July 11, 1905.

JOHN D. KARNAGHAN AND JOHN H. PRESCOTT, OF MARSHALLTOWVN, IOWVA.

FLEXIBLE METAL DOOR-MAT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 794,304, dated July 11,1905.

Application filed "aunary 5,1901. Serial No. 42,182.

To all 1117110771, it may con/007 711:

Be it known that we, JOHN D. KARNAGHAN and JOHN H. PRESCOTT, citizens ofthe United States, residing at Marshalltown,in the county of Marshalland State of Iowa, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inFlexible Metal Door-Mats, of which the following is a specification.

The objects of our invention are to provide a flexible door-mat composedof a series of links, each link being made from a piece of flat metalformed into a figure substantially rectangular in outline and having oneend closed and the other open, whereby one link may have its closed endinserted into the opening of an adjacent link and pivoted therein in anyordinary way, so that when a number of links are assembled to form a matthey will mutually brace against such strains as might tend to changethe outline of the mat-that is to say, a mat will be provided that willalways retain its original outlineand at the same time each transverseseries of links is pivoted to the adjacent transverse series in suchmanner that one may be folded over the other as required to provide amat that be folded into comparatively small space forconvenience intransportation, storage, See.

A further object is to provide a mat in which the side-by-side links maybe connected by rivets or rods or other fastening means that do notextend through the entire width of the mat, thereby providing a mat thatis slightly flexible laterally, it being remembered in this connectionthat in mats requiring transverse rods running entirely through the matssaid rods frequently become bent, and thereby cause parts of the mat tostand above the floorsurface, which feature is obviously highlyobjectionable. By our improved construction a mat is provided which willat all times lie perfectly flat upon the floor.

A further object is to provide a mat of this class in which both endswill present straight flat surfaces, thereby avoiding the necessity ofproviding finishing-strips or the like for said ends.

A further object is to provide simple, durable, and inexpensive meansfor finishing the sides of the mat, which finishing means will not inany way interfere with the flexibility of the mat and which will presentan ornamental appearance.

' Our invention consists in certain details in the construction,arrangement, and combination of the various parts of the mat whereby theobjects contemplated are attained, as hereinafter more fully set forth,pointed out in our claims, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings,in which Figure 1 shows an enlarged detail perspective view of thesimplest form of link used in constructing our improved mat. Fig. 2showsa like view of a modified form of same. Fig. 3 shows a like view of oneof the links designed for finishing the end of the mat. Fig. 4. shows atop or plan view of a section of a mat constructed from links ofmodified form. Fig. 5 shows a plan view of a complete mat embodyingourimprovements.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, it will be noted that each linkis made from a single strip of flat metal having its side portions 10parallel with each other, separated by a considerable distance, andprovided with perforations 11. The end portion of the link 12 isstraight and at right angles to the sides and forms a closed end for thelink. The sides 10 are provided near the end 12 with the perforations13.

In the modification shown in Fig. 2 the sides of the link are curvedinwardly at 14 and 15 to vary the appearance of the link and to aid inmaking a more artistic mat. The essential features, however, which arethe parallel sides separated from each other and provided with holes 11,the straight end 12, and the holes 13 in the sides near the straightend, are the same in both forms.

In the modification shown in Fig. 3 the same description as applied tothe form shown in Fig. 2 covers the construction shown in Fig. 3 inregard to the features above noted, and in addition the sides of thelink are bent inwardly to form a substantially V-shaped figure at 16.Furthermore, in the modification shown in Fig. 3 we have illustrated ourpreferred means for providing a finishing end for a mat, which meansconsist in extending one of the sides in a plane at right angles to apoint adjacent to the opposite side, thereby forming a closed end 17,and then parallel with said end at 18, and providing an opening 19 inthe part 18 to coincide with the opening 11. This obviously may be doneat avery slight expense.

In the modification shown in Fig. 4c the sides of the link are bentoutwardly at 20 instead of inwardly, as shown in the modifications ofFigs. 2 and 3. In other respects the modification shown in Fig. 4contains the essential features of the form shown in Fig. 1.

, In forming a mat from a series of links of the kind shown in any oneof the modifications We first place the links in rows side by side, withthe ends 12 all at the same end of the mat. Then the closed ends ofanother row of links are placed between the open ends of the first row,and so on indefinitely. The links for the opposite end of the mat areprovided with the closed ends 17 and obviously when this form of link(shown in Fig. is used either the closed end 17 or the closed ends 12may be used as the finishing end of the mat. For connecting the linkswith each other we use a series of short rods 21, extending from a pointbetween the sides of one link to a point between the sides of any otherlink, arranged in alinement transversely of the mat. Said rods havelooped heads 22 at their ends to prevent them from pulling through theopenings in the links. The heads at the outer side boundaries of the matare on the outside of the links.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim, and desire to secureby Letters Patent of the United States therefor, is

1. An improved metal door-mat, comprising a number of links each made ofa single piece of sheet metal having one end open and the other endclosed, said links being arranged in rows both longitudinally andtransversely of the mat, the closed ends of the links of one transverserow inserted in the open ends of those of the adjacent transverse row,means for pivotally connecting the engaging links and for connecting theside-by-side links with each other, and means for finishing one end ofthe mat, said means comprising a row of metal links closed at each end,one end of each link inserted in the open end of a link of one of thetransverse rows at one end of the mat and pivotally connected therewith.

2. An improved metal door-mat, comprising a number of links eachcomposed of separated sides and an end, said links arranged in rowstransversely, and in rows longitudinally of the mat, the closed end ofeach of the links in one transverse row inserted in the open end of alink in the adjacent transverse row, and rods for uniting the links,extending transversely of the mat passed through the adjacent ends ofthe links and having an end Within the closed end of a link.

3. In a flexible floor-mat, a single piece of flat metal of uniformwidth bent into oblong rectangular shape and its ends placed inoverlying contacting position at one corner and provided with coincidingperforations in the end portions of its parallel sides for the passageof a wire, in the manner set forth, for the purposes stated.

JOHN D. KARNAGHAN. JOHN H. PRESCOTT. Witnesses:

W. B. ELLIOTT, P. J. McOAvIox.

